Dalton Rapattoni Bio – American Idol Contestant

by MJ on April 7, 2016

Below is the biography of Dalton Rapattoni.

Dalton Rapattoni is known among his fans as a teenage heartthrob formerly in the Disney channel boy-band IM5. He was born on February 6th, 1996 in Memphis, Tennessee to an ordinary suburban family. Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to Dallas, Texas, where Dalton spent the majority of his childhood. Before his freshman year of high school, Dalton was accepted to the Booker T Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, where he briefly studied music. Soon enough, he was called to Los Angeles to audition for Disney’s IM5. He departed with his father leaving his mother and sisters behind and scored a position in the boy-band.

Daniel Rapattoni in his IM5 days supporting kids beating cancer

IM5 was a massive departure from Dalton Rapattoni’s previous musical ambitions. He’d never once considered pop music to be his venue; he was a rocker at heart. Even so, he won the hearts of thousands with his brief tenure in IM5. He wrote dozens of songs while in league with IM5. After several years with the group, Dalton realized that his musical inclinations were leading him in a different direction from the band. He wasn’t a pop star; he was an artist.

Dalton remained with the popular boy-band until March 3rd, 2014. While he cherishes the memories of his fellow performers and the experiences they had together, he’s excited to pursue a different path. They separated comfortably. Dalton believed he’d made the right decision for his future as a musician. According to Dalton, pop music and dancing weren’t his forte. He decided to return to Dallas, Texas. Back home, Dalton rejoined Fly Away Hero, a garage band formerly composed of himself and several friends. Fly Away Hero needed new band mates, but amassed a cult following with songs such as “Misunderstood” and “Personal Insane Asylum”. They even competed in the NAAM/School Jam Best Teen Band in America contest. He currently also coaches at the School of Rock in Dallas. Comfortable with his family and friends in their idyllic Texas town, Dalton chose to remain there until his audition for American Idol.

Dalton Rapattoni and his blue eyes

With his flashy dyed hair and boyish charm, Dalton was a shoe-in for a spot on American Idol. He’d already proven repeatedly that he had the vocal talent and musical ability to support his stage presence. On his audition for the show, Dalton sang “The Phantom of the Opera” by Andrew Llyod Webber and Company. The lovely performance was accompanied by Dalton’s acoustic guitar. The judges were surprised by his song selection; Jennifer Lopez praised his “interesting mix” of rock music and musical theater. “I’m looking for someone with an artistic contribution to make,” said judge Keith Urban, “and that’s what you gave me.” Dalton Rapattoni was handed his ticket to Hollywood.

In the Hollywood round of American Idol, Dalton sang the Gold Record certified “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & the Papas. Once again, Dalton and his acoustic guitar stole the show. He modulated his tone perfectly to match the context of the song. He later sang Olivia Newton-John’s “Hopelessly Devoted to You” with aplomb. He has a certain boyish charm in his artistic humility. “It was all super fast,” he said, “I don’t really remember what happened.”

Dalton Rapattoni on his red pillow

If Dalton is anything, he’s a true artist. Despite his excellent performance, Dalton Rapattoni was uncertain of his fate. “Being in this competition with all of these amazing artists and singers,” he opined, “I have never had lower self-esteem.” After singing “It’s Gonna Be Me” by NSYNC, however, Dalton landed a secure spot in the top twenty-four of American Idol‘s farewell season. The boy-band classic complemented Dalton’s days as the secret beau of tween girls nationwide.

Despite his pop star background, Dalton distances himself from typical teenage fare. In his garage band Fly Away Hero, Dalton delves into alternative rock and acoustic indie music. In his performances on American Idol, he’s vacillated between the soundtracks of famous musical theater productions and classic rock and pop hits.

Dalton Rapattoni making a funny face

During his progression into the top ten contestants of American Idol, Dalton serenaded the crowd with a punk rock rendition of “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s. Screaming the lyrics hoarsely into the crowd while clad in the punk uniform of dog tags and tattoos, Dalton Rapattoni resembled a teenage Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. The judges compared his performance to Electric Barnyard while praising the sincerity in his voice. “Every time you sing, it’s a different genre of music,” commented Kelly Clarkson, “I love that. It shows true artistry.”

Although Dalton managed to genre-hop his way into the top eight of American Idol, his performance to secure that position was underwhelming. It was Dalton’s first hiccup. Despite the smoke machine billowing clouds of vapor around his feet and the drama of the set, Dalton Rapattoni’s solo lacked the punch of his previous performances. It was still in the vein of his punk rock motif, but it was missing the elusive passion his previous artistic endeavors held. The judges generally agreed that the song was an inferior choice for Dalton’s skillset. “It’s you,” said Jennifer Lopez, “It’s you we want to see.” Harry Connick Jr. concurred, “There was a certain electricity that I didn’t see today. Interesting, right?”

Dalton Rapattoni doesn’t have much of a musical career prepared for himself should American Idol fail him, unfortunately. Unlike starlets Gianna Isabella and Olivia Rox, Dalton doesn’t have much to fall back on. Even so, there’s no doubt that Dalton will continue to pursue musical artistry. In the future, he may even find Fly Away Hero signed to a record label. He could easily pursue a career as a punk artist — he has the voice and the style down. The audience needs to hear Dalton’s unique perspective on music to truly appreciate his art. Regurgitated singles won’t cut it for Dalton Rapattoni to succeed on American Idol, he must channel his bountiful musical talent into a song that the audience won’t expect. He’s all about defying stereotypes for the sake of his art; he just needs to demonstrate that ability on stage.